Working 11 hours a day can lead to severe depression, says study

With the doom and gloom surrounding the state of the economy, it is tempting to knuckle down and put in a few extra hours at work, but those wanting to impress the boss by appearing eager should spare a thought for their health.

Working overtime: Man feels the stress (Pic: AP)

Staff who put in 11 or more hours a day at the office are twice as likely to suffer a severe bout of depression than those who stay for eight hours.

A ârobustâ link between overtime and depression was found in a study of 2,000 middle-aged civil servants.

The odds were not affected when social background, lifestyle and other work-related factors were taken into account, researchers from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and University College London told online journal Plos One.

If all this sounds familiar, there have been a number of previous studies on the subject that have produced varied results.

But the researchers said it was hard to compare their work with earlier findings because the cut-off point for âovertimeâ has not been standardised.

Study leader Marianna Virtanen said: âAlthough occasionally working overtime may have benefits for the individual and society, it is important to recognise that working excessive hours is alsoÂ associated with an increased risk ofÂ major depression.â